Racism has many definitions; the most common and widely accepted is that members of one "race" are intrinsically superior or inferior to members of other "races".
Racism is a belief or ideology that all members of each race posses characteristics or abilities specific to that race.

I moved to Wales a couple of years back. My family had intended to start afresh in the country, and my parents assumed that it was what we all wanted. If only that were true. We moved to an area which as we would describe back home, "the land of the sheep" Sheep everywhere, absolutely everywhere. But the people were nice, smiles in the streets. A "hello" here and there.

I started school in year 9, i was scared, it was like starting high school all over again, except i didn't have anyone to hold my hand when i walked in, but as soon as i did walk in and glance at my surroundings, i realized. I was the only person of mixed race. I didn't particularly mind but i was uneasy that i didn't have anyone to relate to.

The first few weeks of school were great, i made lots of new friends who helped me and guided me and saw past the race barrier most people had. I was being shielded from racism, cynicism and bullying. Until 5 months later.

I had my bags snatched, and when eventually it was recovered, written on it was "Paki" in great big bold letters. The weeks and months that followed, i had my clothes smoke-bombed, my coursework mysteriously disappearing, my watch being stolen from me in the mornings rush to classes.
But the worst thing was, on the 7/7 London bombings, i was made to feel responsible. In a school of over a thousand pupils, i was the one subjected to the most horrific non-violent bullying ever. My teachers looked at me with disgust. One student told me to go back to where i came from and others signed a petition.

Things in the village i lived in were bad as well. We had stones thrown at our house people stealing our cars, spray painting obscene words on our windows. It drove my mother to have anxiety attacks, scared on when it would happen next.

I was only young back then and i didn't realize the severity of racism amongst narrow minded people. I was naive when i was in London, no racism affected me there, but in another country where me and my family were open to it, that was a different ball game. Racism will never go away. And i should know, i still live here.

Learn more about this author, Nazrul Islam.
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